thankes Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us c. When wee see men looke bigge and swell with the things of this life let us in a holy kinde of st ate thinke of our happinesse in heaven and carry our selves accordingly If wee see any thing in this world le ts say to our soules this is not that I looke for or when wee heare of any thing that is good let us say I can heare this therefore this is not that I looke for or when wee understand any thing here below this is not the thing I looke for but for things that cye hath not seene nor eare heard nor that ever entred into the heart of man There are foure things observeable in the nature oflove first an estimation of the Partie beloved secondly a Desire to be joyned to him thirdly a Setled contentment fourthly a desire to please the Partie in all things So there is first in every Christian an high estimation of God and of Christ he makes choice of him above all things and speakes largely in his commendations secondly hee desires to be united to him and where this desire is there is an entercourse hee will open his minde to him by Prayer and goe to him in all his consultations for his counsell thirdly hee places contentment in him alone because in his worst conditions hee is at peace and quiet if hee may have his countenance shine upon him fourthly hee seekes to please him because hee labours to be in such a condition that God may delight in him his love stirres up his soule to remove all things distastfull it seekes out as David did Is there never a one left of the house of Saul to whom I may doe good for Ionathans sake Infirmities in Gods children preserves their grace therefore it is that in Gods Scripture where God honours the Saints their weakenesses are made knowne Iacob wrestled with God and prevailed but hee halted and Peter Vpon this Rocke will I build my Church yet get thee behind me Satan Paul was exalted above measure with Revelations but hee had the messenger of Satan to buffet him It is the poysonfull nature of man to quench a great deale of good for a little ill but Christ cherishes a little grace though there be a great deale of corruption which yet is as offensive to him as smoake therefore wee should labour to gaine all wee can by love and meekenesse Christians find their corruptions more offensive to them than when they were in the state of nature and therefore it is that they thinke their estate is not good but then corruption boyles more because it is restrained The more will the more sinne when wee venture upon sinfull courses upon deliberation it exceeding ly wasts our comfort when wee fall into sinne against conscience and abuse our Christian liberty God fetches us againe by some severe affliction there shall be a cloud betweene Gods face and us and hee will suspend his comforts for a long time therefore let no man venture upon sinne for God will take a course with him that shall be little to his ease The reason why meane Christians have more loving soules than men of greater parts is because great men have corruptions answerable to their parts great gifts great doubts they are intangled with arguments and study to informe their braines when others are heated with affection A poore Christian cares not for cold disputes in stead of that hee loves and that 's the reason why a poore soule goes to heaven with more joy whilest others are intangled Many men are troubled with cold affections and then they thinke to worke love out of their owne hearts which are like a barren Wildernesse but wee must begge of God the Spirit of Love wee must not bring love to God but fetch love from him When wee love things baser than our selves it s like a sweete streame that runnes into a sinke as our love therefore is the best thing wee have and none deserves it more than God so let him have our love yea the strength of our love that we may love him with all our soules and with all our mind and with all our strength As the Sunne when it hath gotten to any height it scatters the clouds so a Christian is then in his excellencie when hee can scatter doubts and feares when in distresse hee can doe as David did comfort himselfe in the Lord his God Many men would be in Canaan as soone as they are out of Egypt they would be at the highest pitch presently but God will leade us through the wildernesse of temptations and afflictions till we come to heaven and it is a part of our Christian meekenesse to submit to God and not to murmure because wee are not as we would be but let us rather magnifie the mercies of God that workes in us any love of good things and that hee vouch safes us any beginnings As noble mens children have Tutors to guide them so Gods Children have the Spirit telling them this you should doe and that you should not doe the Spirit not onely changeth but leades forward unto holinesse wicked men have the Spirit knocking and faine would enter but they will not heare but Gods children have the Spirit dwelling in them A Christian is now in his Nonage and therefore not fit to have all that hee hath a title to but yet so much is allotted to him as will conduct him and give him passage to heaven If therefore hee be in want hee hath contentment and in suffering hee hath patience c. All things are his as well what he wants as what he hath The Word of God is then in our hearts when it rules in the soule when it rules our thoughts affections and conversations so that wee dare not doe any thing contrary but wee shall be checked who shall get out that which Gods finger hath written in our hearts no Fire nor Faggot no temptation whatsoever Wee shall never be satisfied to our comfort that the Scripture iâ— the Word of God unlesse we know it from it selfe by its owne light and it shewes it selfe abundantly to a Beleever in casting downe the soule and altering the minde and conversation when the Word is onely in the braine if there come a temptation stronger than our faith then we despaire the Word is farre off from those that can onely discourse and talke of it when they see it onely as a naturall truth when they looke upon holy things not in a divine but in a humane manner When the Word dwels as a familiar in the heart to direct counsell and comfort then its a signe it is there the devill knowes good and hates it therfore knowledge alone is nothing but when the promise doth alter the temper of the heart it selfe then it is ingrafted God excepts against none if wee doe not except our selves therefore thou and
humility and for this purpose God hath furnished us with the Spirit of all Grace Let us therefore remember when we have any dutie to doe to pray unto Christ to blow upon us with his Spirit God doth not so much looke at our infirmities as at our uprightnesse and sinceritie and therefore when we are out of temptations wee should consider and examine what God hath wrought in us and then though there be infirmities and failings yet if our hearts be upright God will pardon them as wee finde that David and others were accounted upright and yet had many imperfections Watching is an exercising of all the graces of the soule and these are given to keepe our soules awake we have enemies about us that are not asleepe and our worst enemy is within us and so much the worse because so neere we live also in a world full of temptations and wicked men are full of malice wee are passing through our enemies Countrey and therefore had neede to have our wits about us the devill also is at one end of every good action and therefore we had neede to keepe all our graces in perpetuall exercise we should watch in feare of jealousie taking heede of a spirit of drowsinesse labouring also to keepe our selve unspotted of the world It may be asked how we shall know the Scripture to be the Word of God For answer Doe but grant first that there is a God it will follow then that he must be worshipped and served and that this service must be discovered to us that wee may know what hee doth require and then let it be compared what Word of God can come neare to be the same with this Besides God hath blessed the superstition of the Iewes who were very strickt this way to preserve it for us and the Heretickes since the Primitive Church have so observed one another that there can be no other to this Word But now wee must further know that we must have some thing in our soules suitable to the truthes contained in it before we can truely and savingly beleeve it to be the Word of God as that we finde it to have a power in working upon our hearts and affections Luke 24. 32. Did not our hearts burne within us when he opened to us the Scriptures Againe it hath a divine operation to warme and pacifie the soule and a power to make a Felix tremble it hath a searching quality to divide betweene the marrow and the bone we doe not therefore onely beleeve the Scriptures to be the word of God because any man saith so or because the Church saith so but also and principally because I finde it by experience working the same effects in me that it speakes of it selfe and therefore let us never rest till when we heare a promise wee may have some thing in us by the sanctifying Spirit that may be suitable to it and so assuring of us that it is that Word alone that informes us of the good pleasure of God to us and our duty to him There is in God a fatherly anger after conversion he retaines that and this Fatherly anger is also turned away when in sinceritie we humble our selves There is one saith well A child of anger and a child under anger Gods children are not children of wrath but sometimes they are under wrath when they doe not carry themselves as sonnes when they venture on sinnes against conscience c. but if they humble themselves and reforme and flie to God for mercie then they come into favour againe and recover the right of sonnes Wee may know that God loves us when by his Spirit he speakes friendly to our soules and wee by prayer speake friendly to him againe when wee have communion and familiaritie with him whom God loves to them hee discovers his secrets even such secrets as the soule never knew before Hee reveales them to us when our hearts are wrought to an ingenuous confession of sinne and when we have no comfort but from heaven even as a father discovers his bowells most to his child when it is sicke so God reserves the discoverie of his love especially untill such a time when wee renounce all carnall confidence therefore if wee can assure our soules that God loves us let us then be at a point for any thing that shall happen to us in this world whether it be disgrace or contempt or whatsoever because we may fetch patience and contentednesse from hence that Gods love supplies all wants whatsoever After a gracious pardon for sinne there are two things remaining in us Infirmities and Weakenesses Infirmities are corruptions stirred up which hinders us from good and puts us forward to evill but yet they are so farre resisted and subdued that they breake not forth into action Weakenesse is when we suffer an infirmitie to breake out for want of watchfulnesse as if a man be subject to passion when this is working disturbance in the minde it is infirmitie but when for want of watchfulnesse it breakes forth into action then it is weakenesse and these diseases are suffered in us to put us in minde of the bitter roote of sinne for if we should not sometimes breake forth into sinne wee should thinke that our nature were cured Who would have thought that Moses so meeke a man could have so broken out into passion we see it also in David and Peter and others and this is to shew that the corruption of nature in them was not fully healed but there is this difference betweene the slippes and falls of Gods children and of other men when other men fall it setles them in their dregges but when Gods children falls they see their weakenesses they see the bitter roote of sinne and hate it the more and are never at quiet till it be cast out by the strength of Grace and Repentance Therefore let no man be too much cast downe by his infirmities so long as they are resisted for from hence comes a fresh hatred of corruption and God lookes not upon any sinne but sinne ungrieved for unresisted otherwise God hath a holy end in suffering sinne to be in us to keepe us from worse things There is none that out of sinceritie doe give themselves to holy conference but are gainers by it Many men aske questions and are inquisitive to know but not that they might put in practise this is but a proud desire to taste of the tree of knowledge but the desire of true affected Christians is to know that they might seeke Christ we gaine oftentimes by discourse with those that are punies in Religion Saint Paul desires to meete with the Romanes though they were his converts that he might be strengthened by their mutuall faith Rom. 1. 12. When once the Spirit doth fasten the wrath of God upon the conscience of one whom he meanes to save then there followes these afflicting affections of griefe and shame and from hence comes a dislike and hate of
the greatest wisedome and sobrietie Iohn the Baptist was accused to have a devill and Christ to be besides himselfe and the Apostles to be full of new wine and Paul to be madde and the reason of this is because as Religion is a mysticall and spirituall thing so the Tenents of it seeme Paradoxes to carnall men as first that a Christian is the onely Free-man and other men are slaves that hee is the onely Rich-man though never so meane in the world that he is the onely Beautifull man though outwardly never so deformed that hee is the onely happy man in the middest of all his miseries Now these things though never so true in themselves seeme strange to naturall men and then again when they see men earnest against sinne or making conscience of sinne they wonder at this commotion for trifles as if we made Tragadies of toyes but these men goe on in a course of their owne and make that the measure of all those that are below them are prophane and those that are above them are indiscreete by fancies and affections they create excellencies and then cry downe spirituall things as folly they have principles of their owne to love themselves and to love others onely for themselves and to hold on the strongest side and by no meanes to expose a mans selfe to danger But now when men beginne to be religious they deny all their owne aimes and that makes their course seeme madnesse to the world and therefore they labour to breed an ill conceit of them as if they were mad men and fooles Gods children are neither mad men nor fooles as they are accounted it is but a scandall cast upon them by the mad men of the world They are the onely wise men if it be well considered for first they make the highest end their aime which is to be a Childe of God here and a Saint hereafter in heaven secondly they aime to be found wise men at their death and therefore are alwayes making their accounts ready thirdly they labour to live answerable to their rules they observe the rule of the Word to bee governed according to the same fourthly they improve all advantages to advance their end they labour to grow better by blessings and crosses and to make a sanctified use of every thing fiftly they swimme against the streame of the times and though they eate and drinke and sleepe as others doe yet like the Starres they have a secret course and carriage of their owne which the world cannot discerne and therefore a man must be changed and set in a higher ranke before he can have a sanctified judgement of the wayes of God Those that lay the imputation of folly and madnesse on Gods children will be found to be fooles and madde men themselves Is not he a foole that cannot make a right choice of things and how doe carnall men make their choice when they imbrace perishing things for the best secondly a carnall man hath not parts to apprehend spirituall things aright hee cannot see things invisible thirdly in his heart he accounts it a vaine thing to serve the Lord fourthly he judges his enemies to be his best friends and his best friends to be his worst enemies fiftly the principles of all his actions are rotten because they are not directed to the right object therfore all his affections are madde as his joy his love his delight his love is but lust his anger vexation for his confidence hee calls Gods love into question but if a false suggestion comes from the devill that hee imbraces and therefore is hee not now a mad man And this is the condition of all naturall men in the world True freedome is when the heart is inlarged and made subordinate to God in Christ. A man is then in a sweete frame of soule when his heart is made subject to God for he being larger than the soule sets it at libertie God will have us make his glory our aime that hee may bestow himselfe upon us When the love of Christ is manifested to mee and my love againe to Christ is wrought by the Spirit this causes an admiration to the soule when it considers what wonderfull love is in Christ and the Spirit shall witnesse that this love of Christ is set upon me from hence it begins to admire Lord where fore wilt thou shew thy selfe to us and not to the world what is the reason thou lovest mee and not others when the soule hath beene with God in the Mount and when it is turned from earthly things then it sees nothing but love and mercie and this constraines us to doe all things out of love to God and men When Ioshua cursed the man that should build the walles of Iericho hee was not in commotion and fury but in a peaceabletemper So that when cursing comes from such a one he is a declaratory instrumēt and the conveigher of Gods curse Therefore every man must not take upon him to curse for men oftentimes curse where they should blesse which is an arrow shot upright that falls downe upon his owne head but those that come in the name of the Lord and are qualified for that purpose their cursings or blessings are to be esteemed for they are a meanes oftentimes to conveigh Gods blessings or his cursings upon us It is over-curious to exact the first beginnings of Grace because it falls by degrees like the dew undiscernably and further there is a great deale of wisedome as well as power in the working of Grace God offers no violence to the soule but workes sweetely yet strongly and strongly yet sweetely he goes so farre with our nature that wee shall freely delight in Grace so that now he sees great reason why hee should alter his course God doth not overthrow Nature the streame is but changed the man is the same Where the soule desires the forgivenesse of sinne and not Grace to lead a new life that desire is hypocriticall for a true Christian desires power against sinne as well as pardon for it if we have not sanctifying Grace wee have not pardoning Grace Christ came as well by water to Regenerate as by blood to Iustifie It should therefore be our continuall care and indeavour to grow and increase in Grace because without it wee shall never come to heaven without this endeavour our sacrifices are not accepted without this wee cannot withstand our enemies or beare any crosse withou◠it we cannot goe on comfortably in our course without this wee cannot doe any thing acceptable and pleasing to God God will be as the dew unto Israel and hee shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth his rootes as Lebanon Hos. 14. 5. These are not words wastfully spent for wee have great need of such promises especially in a distressed estate for then our spirits are apt to sinke and our hearts to faint and therefore wee have neede to have the same comforts often repeated Prophane hearts thinke
DIVINE MEDITATIONS AND HOLY CONTEMPLATIONS BY That reverend Divine R. Sibbes D. D. Master of Catherine Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Grayes Inne LONDON LONDON Printed for Iohn Crooke and Richard Sergier in Pauâ— Churâ— yard 1638 DIVINE MEDITATIONS AND HOLY CONTEMPLATIONS BY That reverend Divine R. Sibbes D. D. Master of Catherine Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Grayes Inne in LONDON LONDON Printed by Tho. Cotes for Iohn Crooke and Richard Sergier and are to be sold at the signe of the Gray-hound in Pauls Church-yard 1638. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER COurteous Reader thou hast here Meditation upon Meditation offered to thy consideration as a helpe to thee when thou art privately alone As sweete spices yeeld small savour untill they are beaten to powder so the wonderfull workes of God are either not at all or very slightly smelt in the nostrils of man who is of a dull sense unlesse they be rubbed and chased in the minde through a fervent affection and singled out with a particuler view like them which tell money who looke not confusedly at the whole heape but at the valew of every parcell So then a true Christian must endeavour himselfe to deliver not in grosse but by retaile the millions of Gods mercy to his soule in secret thoughts chewing the cud of every Circumstance with continuall Contemplation And as a thriftie Gardi ner which is loath to see one Rose leafe to fall from the stalke without stilling so the Christian soule is unwilling to passe or to stifle the beds of spices in the Garden of Christ without gathering some fruit Cant. 6. which containe a mystery and hidden vertue and our Champhire clusters in the Vineyards of Engedie Cant. 1. must bere solved into droppes by the Still of Meditation or else they may be noted for weedes in the Herball of men which hath his full of all kindes but some are slightly passed over as the watery herbes of vanity which grow on every wall of carnall mens hearts and yeeldbut a slight taste how good the Lord is or should be to their soules It therefore behoveth us first to mind the tokens of his mercy and love and afterwards for the helping os our weake digestion to champe and chew by an often revolution every part and parcell thereof before we let it downe into our stomackes that by that meanes it may effectually nourish every veine and living artery of our soule and fill them full with the pure blood of Christs body the least drop wherof refresheth chereth the soule and body of him which is in a swound through his sinne and maketh him apt to walke and talke as one who is now living in Christ. By this sweete Meditation the soule taketh the key where all her evidences lie and peruses the bills and articles of Covenant agreed and condescended unto betweene God and man there shee seeth the great grant and pardon of her sins subscribed unto by God himselfe and sealed with the blood of Christ. There hee beholdeth his unspeakable mercy to a prisoner condemned to die without which at the last in a desperate case he is led and haled unto execution by the cursed crue of hellish furies Here she learneth how the holy land is intailed and retaileth by discourse the descent from Adam unto Abraham his son Isaac and so forward unto all the seede of the faithfull by Meditation the soule prieth into the soule and wit ha reciprocall judgement examineth her selfe and every faculty thereof what she hath what shee wanteth where she dwelleth where she removeth and where shee shall be By this shee feeleth the pulses of Gods Spirit beating in her the suggestions of Sathan the corruptions of her owne affections who like a cruell steppe-Dame mingleth poysons and pestilent things to murther the Spirit to repell every good motion and to be in the end the lamentable ruine of the whole man Here she standeth as it were with Saul upon the mountaines beholding the combat betweene David and Goliah botweene the Spirit and the uncircumcised raging of the Flesh the stratagems of Sathan the bootlesse attempts of the world Here appeare her owne infirmities her relapses into sinne her selfe astoned by the buffets of Sathan her Fort shrewdly battered by carnall and fleshly lusts her Colours and prosession darkened and dimmed through the smoke of affliction her faith hidden because of such massacres and and treasons her hope banished with her mistrust her selfe ho vering ready to take flight from the sinceritie of her profession Here she may discerne as from the toppe of a Mast an armie comming whose Captaine is the Spirit garded with all his graces the bloody armes of Christ by him displaied the Trum. pets sound Sathan vanquished the world conquered the flesh subdued the soule recvived profession bettered and each thing restored to his former integritie The consideration hereof made Isaac goe meditating in the evening Gen. 24. This caused Hezekiah to mourne like a Dove and chatter like a Pye in his heart in deepe silence Esa. 58. This forced David to meditate in the morning nay all the day long Psal. 63. and 119. 148. ver as also by night in secret thoughts Psal. 16. This caused Paul to give Timothy this lesson to meditate 1 Tim. 4. And God himselfe commanded Ioshua when hee was elected Governor that hee should meditate upon the Law of Moses both day and night to the end hee might performe the things written therein Ioshu 1. And Moses addeth this clause teaching the whole Law from God himselfe These words must remaine in thy heart thou must meditate upon them both at home and abroad when thou goest to bed and when thou risest in the morning Deut. 6. This meditation is not a passion of melancholy nor a fit of fiery love nor covetous care nor senselesse dumps but a serious act of the Spirit in the inwards of the soule whose object is spirituall whose affection is a provoked appetite to practise holy things a kindling in us of the love of God a zeale towards his truth a healing our benummed hearts according to that speech of the Prophet My heart did waxe hot within me and fire did kindle in my meditations Psal. 39. Tho want whereof caused Adam to fall yea and all the earth into utter desolation for there is no man considereth deepely in his heart Ier. 12. If Caine had considered the curse of God and his heavie hand against that grievous and crying sinne he would not have slaine his owne brother if Pharaoh would have set his heart to ponder of the mighty hand of God by the plagves already past hee should have prevented those which followed and have foreslowed his haste in making pursuite with the destruction of himselfe and his whole Army If Nadad and Abihu had regarded the fire they put in their Censers they might have beene safe from the fire of heaven To conclude the want of meditation hath beene the cause of so many fearefull
frame it hinders all the rest If we will hold out because the errour is in want of deepe apprehension of the miseries wee are in by nature let us labour therefore to have our hearts broken more and more Vpon this fault it was that the stony ground spoken of in the Gospell wants rooting therefore it is Christian pollicie to suffer our soules to be humbled as deepe as possible may be that there may be mould enough otherwise there may be a great joy in divine Truths and they may be comfortable but all will be sucked up like dew when persecution comes if it be not rooted What is the reason that Gods children sinke not to hell when troubles are upon them because they have an inward presence strengthening them for the holy Ghost helpes our infirmities not onely to pray but to beare crosses sweetening them with some glympes of his gracious countenance for what supports our faith in prayer but inward strength from God In prosperitie or after some deliverance its the fittest time for praise because then our spirits are raised up and cheared in the evidence of Gods favour for the greater the crosse is from which wee have beene delivered the more will the spirit be enlarged to praise God When ever we receive any good to our soules or to our bodies who ever is the instrument let us looke to the principall as in the gifts wee receive wee looke not to the Bringer but to the Sender Take heede of Satans policie that God hath forgotten mee because I am in extremitie nay rather God will then shew mercie for now is the speciall time of mercy therefore beat backe Satan with his owne weapons Whatsoever God takes away from his children he either supplies it with a great earthly favour or else with strength to beare it God gives charge to others to take a care of the fatherlesse and widdow and will he neglect them himselfe That is spirituall knowledge which alters the taste and relish of the soule for wee must know there is a bitter Antithesis in our nature against all saving Truthes there is a contrarietie betweene our nature and that Doctrine which teacheth us that wee must deny our selves and be saved by another Therefore the soule must first be brought to relish before it can digest there must be first an holy Harmony betweene our nature and truth If we will walke aright in Gods wayes let us have heaven daily in our Eye and the day of judgement and times to come and this will sterne the course of our lives and breed love in the use of the meanes and patience to undergoe all conditions let us have our eye with Moses upon him that is invisible A man may know that hee loves the world if he be more carefull to get than to use for we are but Stewards and wee should consider I must be as carefull in distributing as in getting for when wee are all in getting and nothing in distributing this man is a worldling though hee be moderate in getting without wronging any man yet the world hath gotten his heart because hee makes not that use of it he should It is a sottish conceit to thinke that wee can fit our selves for Grace as if a child in the wombe could forward its naturall birth If God hath made us men let us not make our selves Gods As naturall life preserves it selfe by repelling that which is contrary to it So where the life of Grace is there is a principle of skill of power and strength to repell that which is contrary It is the nature of the soule that when it sees a succession of better things it makes the world seeme cheape when it sees another condition not liable to change then it hath a sanctified judgement to esteeme of things as they are and so it overcomes the world In the Covenant of Grace God intends the glory of his Grace above all Now faith is fit for it because it hath an uniting Vertue to knit us to the Mediator and to lay hold of a thing out of it selfe it empties the soule of all conceit of worth or strength or excellencie in the creature and so it gives all the glory to God and Christ. What wee are afraid to speake before men and to doe for feare of danger let us be afraid to thinke before God therefore wee should stifle all ill conceits in the very conception in their very rising let them be used as Rebells and Traytors smoothered at the first The heart of man till he be a Beleever is in a wavering condition its never at quiet and therefore it s the happinesse of the creature to be satisfied and to have rest for perplexitie makes a man miserable if a man have but a little scruple in his conscience hee is like a shippe in the sea tossed with contrary windes and cannot come to the Haven The righteousnesse of Workes leaves the soule in perplexitie that righteousnesse which comes by any other meanes than by Christ leaves the soule unsetled because the Law of God promiseth life onely upon absolute and personall performance Now the heart of man tells him that this he hath not done and such duties he hath omitted and this breeds perplexitie because the heart hath not whereon to stay it selfe Glory followes afflictions not as the day followes the night but as the Spring followes Winter for the Winter prepares the earth for the Spring so doth afflictions sanctified prepare the soule for glory This life is not a life for the body but for the soule and therefore the soule should speake to the body and say stay body for if thou movest mee to fulfill thy desires now thou wilt lose mee and thy selfe hereafter But if the body be given up to Christ then the soule will speake a good word for it in heaven as if it should say Lord there is a body of mine in the earth that did fast for me and pray with me it will speake for it as Pharaohs Butler to the King for Ioseph Afflictions makes a divorce and separation betweene the soule and sinne it is not a small thing that will worke sinne out of the soule it must be the Spirit of burning the fire of afflictions sanctified heaven is for holinesse and all that 's contrary to holinesse afflictions workes out and so frames the soule to a further communion with God When the soule admires spirituall things it s then a holy frame and so long it will not stoope to any base comfort Wee should therefore labour to keepe our soules in an estate of holy admiration All those whom Christ saves by vertue of his merit and paiment to those hee discovers their wretched condition and instead thereof a better to be attained hee shewes by whom wee are redeemed and from what and unto what condition the Spirit informing us throughly that God enters into covenant with us Spirituall duties are as opposite tâ—â— flesh and blood as Fire to Water
thou whosoever thou art if thou beest a man or a woman and wilt come and take Christ upon his owne termes for thy Lord and Husband for better for worse with persecutions afflictions crosses c. Take Christ thus and take him for ever and then thou shalt be saved When wee beleeve divine truths by the Spirit they worke upon the heart and draw the affections after them therefore if wee spiritually beleeve the story of the Gospell wee shall have our soules carried to love and imbrance it with joy and comfort Wee may be brought very low but we shall not be confounded yet wee shall be brought as neare confusion as may be to shew us the vanity of the creature in the judgement of the world wee may be confounded but a hand of mercy shall fetch us up againe let the depth of misery and disconsolation be what it will be we shall not be ashamed The reason why Gods children doe oftentimes with great perplexitie doubt of their salvation is because they have a principle of nature in them as well as of grace corruption will breed doubtings as rotten wood breedes Wormes and as Vermine comes out of putrefaction so doubtings and feares come from the remainder of corruption For want of watchfulnesse God oftentimes gives us up to such a perplexed estate that wee shall not know that we are in Grace and though wee may have a principle of Grace in us yet wee shall not see it but may goe out of the world in darkenesse Wee ought not at any time to deny the Truth nor yet at all times to confesse it for good actions and graces are like Princes that come forth attended with Circumstances and if Circumstances in Confession be wanting the action is marred It s true of actions as of words A word spoken in season is like Apples of gold with pictures of silver therefore direction must be our guide for speech is then onely good when it is better than silence It is not lawfull for any weake one to be present at the Masse Dinah ventured abroad and came crackt home its just with God that those that dally with these things should be caught as many idle Travellers are its pittie but those should perish in danger that love danger Hee that will not now denie himselfe in a lust in a lawlesse desire will not deny himselfe in matter of life in time of triall Hee that hath not learned the mortification of the flesh in time of peace will hardly be brought to it in time of trouble Wee must not onely stand for the truth but we must stand for it in a holy manner and not swagger for it as proud persons doe we must observe that in the first of Peter 2. 15. to doe it in meekenesse and feare wee must not bring passion to Gods cause nor must our lives give our tongues the lie There is such a distance betweene corrupt nature and grace that wee must have a great deale of preparation and though there be nothing in preparation to bring the soule to have Grace yet it brings the soule to a nearer distance than those that are wilde persons Nature cannot worke above its owne powers as vapours cannot ascend higher than the Sunne drawes them our hearts are naturally shut and God doth open them by his Spirit in the use of the meanes The children of Israel in the Wildernesse saw wonders upon wonders and yet when they came to be proved they could not beleeve Its Gods free love that hath cast us into these happy times of the Gospell and it s his further love that makes choise of some and refuses others This should therefore teach us sound humility cōfidering that God must open ro else we are eternally shut Seeing Grace is not of our owne getting therefore this should teach us patience towards those that are under us waiting if God at any time will give them repentance though God worke not the first time nor the second time yet wee must waite as the man that lay at the poole of Bethesda for the moving of the water Hee that attends to the Word of God doth not onely know the words which are but the shell but he knowes the things he hath spirituall light to know what Faith and Repentance is there is at that time a spirituall Eccho in the soule as Psal. 27. 8. When thou saidst seeke yee my face my heart answered thy face Lord will I seeke and therefore must men judge of their profiting by the Word not by their carrying of it in their memories but by how much they are made able by it to beare a crosse and how they are made able to resist temptation c. There should not be intimate familiaritie but where we judge men faithfull and those whom upon good grounds we judge faithfull we must be gentle towards them and easie to be intreated and wee wrong them if wee show our selves strange unto them True faith workes love and then it workes by love when it hath wrought that holy affection it works by it as when the Plant is ingrafted and takes it growes presently and shewes the growth in the fruits The Word of God is ancienter than the Scripture for the first word of the Scripture was the Promise The seede of the Woman should breake the head of the Serpent The Scripture is but that Modus that manner of conveying the Word of God this Scripture is the Rule whereby wee must walke and the Iudge also of all controversies of Religion and in spite of the Church of Rome it will judge them S. Augustine hath an excellent Discourse When there is contention betwixt brethren witnesses are brought but in the end the Words the Will of the dead man is brought forth and these Words determine Now shall the words of a dead man be of force and shall not the Word of Christ determine therefore looke to the Scripture All Idolaters shall be ashamed that worship Images that trust to broken Cesternes Let those be ashamed that trust to their wits and policies all those shall be ashamed that beare themselves bigge upon any earthly thing for these crutches will be taken away and then they fall these false reports shall make them all ashamed The way to bring faith into the heart is first there must be a judicious convincing knowledge of the vanitie of all things within us and without us that seemes to yeeld any support to the soule and then the soule is carried to lay hold on Christ as David saith I have seene an end of all perfection Secondly the soule must be convinced of an excellencie in Religion above all things in the world or else it will not rest for the heart of man would chuse the best and when it is perswaded that the gaine in Religion is above the world then it yeelds And thirdly a consideration of the firmenesse of the ground whereupon the Promise is built put God to it therefore either to make his
Promise good or to disappoint us and he will be sure to make it good in our forgivenesse of sinne proceeding in Grace and strength against temptations in time of trouble Man is naturally of a short spirit so that if hee have not what hee would and when he would hee gives up and shakes off all there is not a greater difference betweene a child of God and one that wants faith then to be hastie such men though they may be civill yet they are of this minde they will labour to be sure of some thing here they must have present pleasures and present profits if God will save them in that way so if not they will put it to a venture There be many things to hinder this Grace of waiting there is a great deale oftedious time and many crosses wee meete with as the scorne and reproach of this world and many other trialls God seemes also to doe nothing lesse than to performe his promise but le ts comfort our selves with this that hee waites to doe them good that waite on him Wee should labour to agree mutually in love for that wherein any Christian differs from another it is but in petty things grace knowes no differeÌ„ce the Wormes know no difference the day of judgement knowes no difference In the worst things wee are all alike base and in the best things wee are all alike happy onely in this world God will have distinctions for order sake but else there is no difference Christians are like to many men of great meanes that know not how to make use of them we live not like our selves bring large Faith and wee shall have large Grace and comfort wee are scanted in our owne bowells therefore labour to have a large Faith answerable to our largeâ— Riches And though Christians be low enough in outward things and often times poorer than other men yet they are rich for Christ is rich unto them in their crosses and abasements that which they want in this world shall be made up in grace and glory hereafter Wee ought daily to imitate Christ in our places to be good to all as the Apostle saith be abundant alwayes in the workes of the Lord le ts labour to have large hearts that we may doe it seasonably and abundantly and unweariably the love of Christ will breede in us the same impression that was in him None come to God without Christ none come to Christ without Faith none come to Faith without the meanes none enjoy the meanes but where God hath sent it therefore where there was no meanes of salvation before the comming of Christ there was no visible intendment of God ordinarily to save them Preventing mercy is the greatest how many favours doth God prevent us with Wee never asked for our being nor for that tender love which our Parents bore towards us in our tender yeares we never asked for our Baptisme and ingrafting into Christ What a motive therefore is that to stirre us up that when we come to yeares wee may pleade with the Lord and say Thou hadst a care of mee before I had a being and therefore much more wilt thou now have a care of mee whom thou hast reconciled unto thy selfe and remember me in mercie for time to come If Gods mercy might be overcome with our sinnes wee should overcome it every day it must be a rich mercy that must satisfie and therefore the Apostle never speakes of it without the extensions of love the height and depth wee want words we want thoughts to conceive of it wee should therefore labour to frame our soules to have rich and large conceits and apprehensions of so large mercie God is rich in mercy not onely to our soules but in providing all wee stand in neede of Hee keepes us from ill and so hee is called a Buckler He gives us all good things and so he is called a Sunne Hee keepes us in good estate and advanceth us higher so farre as our nature shall be capable The Sunne shines on the Moone and Starres and they shine upon the earth so doth God shine in goodnesse upon us that we might shine in our extentions of goodnesse unto others especially unto them of the houshold of Faith Wee are stiled in Scripture to be good and righteous because our understandings our wills and affections are our owne but so farre as they are holy they are the holy Ghosts we are the principle in our actions as they are actions but the holy Ghost is principle of the holinesse of the action the gracious governement of the new creature is from the Spirit if the holy Ghost take away his Governement and doe not guide and assist us in every holy action wee are at a stand and can goe no further Every man naturally is a God unto himselfe not onely in reflecting all upon himselfe but in setting upon divine things in his owne strength as if hee were principall in his owne actions comming to them in the strength of his owne wit and in the strength of his owne reason this seed is in all men by nature untill God have turned a man out of himselfe by the power of the holy Ghost Those that care not for the Word they are strangers from the Spirit and those that care not for the Spirit never make right use of the word the word is nothing without the Spirit it is animated and quickned by the Spirit the Spirit and the Word are like the veines and arteries in the body that give quickning and life to the whole body and therefore where the Word is most revealed there is most Spirit but where Christ is not opened in the Gospell there the Spirit is not at all visible When Christ comes into the soule by the Spirit then hee carrieâ— himselfe famiâ—iarly discovering the secrets of God the Father and shewing what love there is in God towards us it teacheth us how to carry our selves in all neglects and when we are at a losse it opens a way for us it resolves our doubts it comforts us in our discouragements and makes us goe boldly to God in all our wants As wee may know who dwells in a house by observing who goes in and them that come out so we may know that the Spirit dwells in us by observing what sanctified speeches hee sends forth and what delight hee hath wrought in us to things that are speciall and what price wee set upon them whereas a carnall man pulls downe the price of spirituall things because his soule cleaves to some thing that hee joyes in more and this is the cause why hee slights the directions and comforts of the Word but those in whom the Spirit dwells they will consult with it and not regard what flesh and blood saith but will follow the directions of the Word and Spirit A Christian will not doe common things but first hee sanctifies them and dedicates himselfe his person and his actions to God and so sees
God in all things whereas a carnall man sees reason onely in all that hee doth but a Christian sees God in crosses to humble him and every thing hee makes spirituall yet because there is a double principle in him there will be some stirring of the flesh in his actions and sometimes the worser part will appeare most but here is the excellencie of a Christians estate that the Spirit will worke it out at the last it will never let his heart and conscience alone till it be wrought out by little and little The Spirit of God may be knowne to be in weake Christians as the soule is knowne to be in the body by the pulses even so the Spirit discovers it selfe in them by pulses by groaning sighing complaining that it is so with them and that they are no better so that they are out of love with themselves this is a good signe that the Spirit is there in some measure Where the Spirit dwells largely in any man there is boldnesse in Gods cause a contempt of the world Hee can doe all things through Christ that strengthens him his minde is content and setled he can beare with the infirmities of others and not be offended for it is the weake in the Spirit that are offended he is ready in his desires to say Come Lord Iesus come quickly but where corruption beares sway there is O stay a little that I may recover my strength that is stay awhile that I may repent For the soule is not fit to appeare before God but where the Spirit dwells in Grace and comfort When wee are young carnall delights lead us and when wee are old covetousnesse drownes us so that if our knowledge be not spirituall wee shall never hold out the reason why at the houre of death so many despaire is because they had knowledge without the Spirit God gives comforts in the exercise and practise of Grace wee must not therefore snatch comforts before we be fit for them when wee performe precepts then God performes comforts If wee will make it good indeed that wee love God wee must keepe his Commandements wee must not keepe one but all it must be universall obedience fetched from the heart roote and that out of love It is a true rule in Divinitie that God never takes away any blessing from his people but he gives them a better when Eliah was taken from Elisha into heaven God doubled his Spirit upon Elisha if God take away wife or children hee gives better things for them the Disciples parted with Christ bodily presence but hee sent them the Holy Ghost God will be knowne of us in those things wherein it is our comfort to know him In all our devotions the whole counsells of heaven comforts us joyntly the second Person prayes to the Father and he sends the third and as they have severall titles so they all agree in their love and care to comfort In trouble we are prone to forget all that we have heard and read that makes for our comfort Now what is the reason that a man comes to thinke of that which otherwise hee should never have called to minde the holy Ghost brings it to his remembrance he is a Comforter bringing to minde usefull things at such times when we have most need of the. Those that care not for the Word of God reject their comfort all comfort must be drawne out of the Scriptures which are the breasts of consolation many are bred up by education that they know the truth and are able to discourse of it but they want the Spirit of Truth that is the reason why all their knowledge vanisheth away in time of triall and temptation No man is a true Divine but the child of God hee onely knowes holy things by a holy light and life other men though they speake of these things yet they know them not Take the mysticallest points in religion as Iustification Adoption peace of Conscience Ioy in the holy Ghost the sweet benefit of Communion of Saints the excellent estate of a Christian in extremity to know what is to be done upon all occasions inward sight and sorrow for sinne they know not what those things meane for howsoever they may discourse of them yet the things themselves are Mysteries Repentance is a Mystery Ioy in the holy Ghost is a Mystery no naturall man though hee be never so great a Scholler knowes these things experimentally but he knowes them as Physitians know Physicke by their Bookes but not as a sicke man by experience It is a great scandall to Religion that men of great learning and parts are wicked men hereupon the world comes to thinke that Religion is nothing but an emptie name so that without this inward anointing they never see spirituall things experimentally but though they know these things in the braine yet secretly intheir hearts they make a scorn e of conversion mortification and though for his calling hee may speake of these things excellently and with admiration yet in particular he hath no power of thē in his heart It is good and comfortable to compare our condition with the condition of the men of the world for howsoever they may excell in riches and learning yet we have cause to blesse God as Christ saith in the 11. of Saint Matthew 25. I thanke thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes It is good in all outward discouragements when things goe not well with us thus to reason with our selves wilt thou change thy estate with the men of the world God hath advanced thee to a higher Order Let them have their greatnesse alas they are miserable creatures notwithstanding all that they doe enjoy If wee desire to have the Spirit wee must waite in doing good as the Apostles waited many dayes before the Comforter came we must also emptie our soules of selfe-love and the love of the things of the world and willingly entertaine those crosses that bring our soules out of love with them The children of Israel in the Wildernesse had no Manna till they had spent their Onyons and Garlicke so this world must be out of request with us before we can be spirituall let us therefore labour to see the excellency of spirituall things and how cheape and poore all the glory of the world is to those these things thought and considered on will make us more and more spirituall The holy Ghost would not come till Christ by his Death had reconciled his Father and after that as an argument of full satisfaction had risen againe because the holy Ghost is the best gift of God and whatsoever grace or comfort was received before was by vertue of this so that the sending of the holy Ghost is the best fruit of Gods reconciliation Let a particular judgement come upon any man presently his conscience recalls backe what sinnes have beene
hee is the best discerner of the fittest time when to give us comfort When God meanes to bestow any blessing on his Church or children hee will power upon them the Spirit of Prayer and as all pray for every one so every one prayes for all this is a great comfort to weake Christians when they cannot pray the prayers of others shall prevaile for them A fooles eye is in every corner and fooles afflictions are scattered The onely object of the soule Is that one thing needfull and this will fill all the corners of it when a man hath sucked out the pleasure of worldly contentments they are then but dead things but grace is ever fresh alwaies yeelds fresh and full satisfaction Desires are the spirituall pulse of the soule alwayes beating to and fro and shewing the temper of it they are therefore the Characters of a Christian and shew more truly what he is than his actions doe In the Arke there was Manna which was a Type of our Sacraments and the Testament which was a Type of the Word preached and the rod of Aaron was a Type of governement wheresoever therefore there is spirituall Manna and the Word preached and the rod of Aaron in the governement there is a true Church though there bee manie personall corruptions The bitterest things in Religion are sweete there is a sweetnesse in reproofes when God meetes with our corruptions and whispers to us that those and those things are dangerous and that if we cherish them they will bring us to hell the Word of God is sweete to a Christian that hath his heart touched Is not Pardon sweete to a condemned man and riches sweete to a poore man and favour sweete to a man in disgrace and liberty sweete to a man in captivitie so all that comes from God is sweete to a Christian that hath his heart touched with the sense of sinne It is not happinesse to see but sight with enjoyment and interest there are but two powers of the soule Vnderstanding and Will when both these have their perfection that is happinesse when the Vnderstanding sees and the Will drawes the Affections so there are these things concurre to make up our everlasting happinesse the excellencie of the thing with the sight of it and interest in it Wee see by experience that there is a succession of love Hee that loves for beauty will despise when hee sees a better so it is in the soule betweene heavenly and earthly things when the soule sees more excellencie and more fruitfulnesse in heavenly things then the love of earthly things falls downe in his heart as Saint Paul saith Phil. 3. I account all things arosse and dung in comparison of Christ. In prayer wee tempt God if wee aske that which we labour not for our endeavor must second our devotion for to aske maintenance and not put our hands to the work it is as to knocke at the doore and yet pull the doore unto us that it open not in this case if wee pray for Grace and neglect the Spring from whence it comes how can we speed It was a rule in the ancient time Lay thy hand on the Plough and then pray No man should pray without ploughing nor plough without praying Wisedome is gotten by experience in varietie of estates hee that is carried on in one condition hee hath no wisedome to judge of anothers estate or how to carry himselfe to a Christian in another condition because he was never abased himselfe hee lookes very bigge at him And therefore that wee may carry our selves as Christians meekely lovingly and tenderly to others God will have us goe to heaven in variety not in one uniforme condition in regard of outward things There is no condition but a Christian picks good matter out of it as a good Arts-man sometimes will make a good peece of worke of an ill peece of matter to shew his skill a gracious man is not dejected over-much with abasement nor lifted up over-much with abundance but hee carries himselfe in an uniforme manner becomming a Christian in all conditions where as those that have not beene brought up in Christs Schoole nor trained up in variety of conditions they learne to doe nothing if they abound they are proud if they be cast downe they murmure and fret and are dejected as if there were no providence to rule the world There is a venome and a vanitie in every thing without Grace wherewith we are tainted but when Grace comes it takes out the sting of all ill and then it finds a good in the worst Christianity is a busie trade if wee looke up to God what a world of things are required in a Christian to carry himselfe as hee should doe a spirit of faith a spirit of love a spirit of joy and delight in him above all and if wee looke to men there are duties for a Christian to his Superiors a spirit of subjection to Equalls he must carry a spirit of love and to Inferiors a spirit of pitty and bounty if wee looke to Satan we have a commandement to resist him and to watch against the Tempter if we looke to the World it is full of snares there must be a great deale of spirituall watchfulnesse that wee be not surprised if wee looke to our selves there are required many duties to carrie our vessells in honour and to walke within the compasse of the holy Ghost to preserve the peace of our consciences to walke answerable to our worth as being the sonnes of God and coheires with Christ hee must dispense with himselfe in no sinne hee must be a vessell prepared for every good worke he must baulke in no service that God calls him unto and therefore the life of a Christian is a busie trade Sincerity is the perfecti on of Christians Let not Satan therefore abuse us we do all things when we endevour to do all things purpose to do all things are grieved whē we cannot do better than in some measure we doe all things A Christian is able to doe great matters but it is in Christ that strengthens him the Vnderstanding is ours the Affections are ours the will is ours but the sanctifying of these and the carrying of these supernaturally to doe them spiritually that is not ours but it is Christs We have not onely the life of Grace from Christ at the first and then a spirituall power answerable to that againe whereby our powers are renewed so as wee are able to doe something in our will but we have the Deed it selfe the doing is from Christ hee strengtheneth us for the performance of all good God preserves his owne Worke by his Spirit first he moves ' us to doe and then hee preserves us in doing and armes us against the impediments Though Christ be a Head of influence that flowes into every member yet he is a voluntary Head according to his owne good pleasure and the exigents of his members sometimes we
there is also much more the height and depth and length and bredth of mercy in God and though we have played the Harlot with many lovers yet returne againe Ier. 3. 1. For his thoughts are not as ours and his mercies are the mercies of a reconciled God When wee are under a cloud of temptations let us take heede of opposing our comforts for it wrongs Christs intention who would not have us at any time to be uncomfortable and besides whil'st wee are in such a condition wee are unfit to glorifie God for feare doth binde up the soule and makes it in a palsie temper wee are not fit to doe any thing as we ought without some love and some joy and though we be at present under a cloud yet the Sunne is alwayes the same wee may therefore for a time want the light of his gracious countenance but never his sweete influence Most men if they could they would alwayes live here but whosoever is partaker of Christs Resurrection his minde doth presently ascend and here we are alwayes inlarging our desires because wee are under a state of imperfection Many men that make a profession are like Kytes which ascend high but looke low but those that looke high as they ascend high are risen with Christ for a Christian being once in the estate of Grace hee forgets what is behinde and lookes upon ascending higher and higher till hee be in his place of happinesse and as at Christs rising there was an earth-quake so such as are risen with him doe finde a commotion and division betweene the flesh and the spirit Christ hath an especiall care of his children when by reason of the guilt of sinne they have most cause to be disconsolate and therefore where the heart of any man is upright towards God it is not to be expressed what indulgence there is in him towards such a poore sinner for though Peter had denied him yet in Marke 16. 7. Goe tell his Disciples and tell Peter so that Christ tooke great care to secure him of his love though he had most shamefully denied him God hath not in vaine taken upon him the name of a Father and hee fills it up to the full It is a name of Indulgence a name of Hope a name of Provision a name of Protection it argues the mitigation of punishment a little is enough from a Father therefore in all temptations it should teach us by prayer to flie under the wings of our heavenly Father and to expect from him all that a father should doe for his child as Provision Protection Indulgence yea and seasonable corrections also which are as necessary for us as our daily bread and when we die we may expect our inheritance because hee is our Father but yet wee must understand also that the name of a Father is a word of Relation something also he expects from us we must therefore reverence him as a Father which consists in feare and love He is a great God and therefore we ought to feare him he is also mercifull yea hath bowells of mercy and therefore wee ought to love him if wee tremble at him wee know not that hee is loving and if wee be over bold wee forget that hee is a great God therefore we should goe boldly to him with reverence and godly feare Those that are at peace in their owne consciences will be peaceable towards others A busie contentious quarrelous disposition argues it never felt peace from God and though many men thinke it commendable to cēsure the infirmities of others yet it argues their owne weakenes for it is a signe of strength where wee see in men any good to beare with their weaknesses who wasmore indulgent than Christ hee bore with the infirmities of his Disciples from time to time therefore we should labour to carry our selves lovingly towards them that are weake and know that nothing should raise us so high in our esteeme above others so as to forget them to be brethren in as much as those infirmities we see in them shall be buried with them Many men will make much of eminent persons and men of excellent parts but there may be a great deale of hypocrisie in that and therefore the truth of our love is tried in this if wee beare a sincere affection to all the Saints Eph. 6. 18. Wee must take heede of comming to God in our owne persons or worthinesse but in all things looke at God in Christ if we looke at God as a Father wee must see him Christs Father first if wee see our selves acquitted from our sinnes let us looke at Christ risen first if we thinke of glorification in heaven let us see Christ glorified first and when wee consider of any spirituall blessing consider of it in Christ first all the Promises are made to Christ he takes them first from God the Father and derives them to us by his Spirit the first fulnesse is in God and then he empties himselfe into Christ And of his fulnesse wee all receive grace c. God is said to be our God or to be a God unto us when as he applies for the good of his creature that all-sufficiencie that is in himselfe God is our God by covenant because hee hath made over himselfe unto us every beleeving Christian hath the title passed over to him so that God is his portion and his inheritance There is more comfort in this that God is our God than the heart of man can conceive it s larger than his heart and therefore though we cannot say that riches or honours or friends c. are ours yet if we be able to say by the Spirit of Faith that God is ours then wee have all in him his wisedome is ours to finde out a way to doe us good if wee be in danger his power is ours to bring us out if under the guilt of sinne his mercie is ours to forgive us if any want his all-sufficiencie is ours to supply or to make it good if God be ours then whatsoever God can doe is ours and whatsoever God hath is ours God is the God and Father of all the Elect and hee is also a God and a Father unto every one of the Elect God is every Saints Solidum even as the Sunne is wholly every mans so is God he cares for all as one and for every one as if he had but one There is not onely a mystery but a depth in the mystery as of Election and Reprobation so of Providence there is no reason can be given why some of Gods children are in quiet and others are vexed why one should be poore and another rich In Psal. 97. 2. Clouds and darkenesse are round about him you cannot see him hee is hid in a cloud I but Righteousnesse and Iudgement are the foundation of his Throne howsoever he wrappe himselfe in a thicke cloud that none can see him yet hee is just and righteous therefore when any thing befalls
us for which wee can see no reason yet we must reverence him and adore his Counsells and thinke him wiser than we When wee are diligent in our calling keeping a good conscience and labouring for a carriage answerable when these three meete together Calling and Standing and wise Carriage then whatsoever befalls us wee may with comfort say The will of the Lord be done wee are now in his way may then expect a guard of Angells without and a guard of his Spirit within All the contention betweene the flesh and the spirit lies in this whether God shall have his Will or wee ours now Gods Will is straight but ours is crooked and therefore if God will have us offer up our Isaac we must submit to him and even drowne our selves in the will of God and then the more wee are emptied of our selves the freer wee are by how much we are made subject to God for in what measure wee part with any thing for him wee shall receive even in this world an hundred fold in joy and peace c. Whatsoever outward good things we have wee should use them in a reverent manner knowing that the libertie we have to enjoy them is purchased with the blood of Christ as David when he thirsted for the waters of Bethlehem would not drinke it because it was as the blood of his three Worthies so though we have a free use of the creatures yet wee must be carefull to use them with moderation and reverence There is nothing of God can please the world because the best things are presented to the heart of a carnall man as foolishnesse mans nature above all things would avoid the imputation of folly and rather than hee will be counted a foole hee will slander the wayes of God to be foolishnesse Now the Law of Christ constraines us and makes us doe many things for which the world doth thinke us out of our wits and therefore wee should labour to quit our hearts and account of it a greater favour from God when the Michals of this world scoffe at us for our goodnesse for when they are offended at us God is delighted with us To discerne of our estate in Grace let us chiefely looke to our affections for they are intrinsicall and not subject to hypocrisie men of great parts know much and so doth the devill but hee wants love in fire all things may be painted but the heate so all good actions may be done by an Hypocrite but there is a heat of love which hee hath not wee should therefore chiefly examine the truth and sinceritie of our affections We may apprehend the love of God but we cannot comprehend it all the fruits of his love passes our common understanding and therefore we have the holy Spirit given to us to take away the vayle and to make report of it to the soule and then assoone as this love of Christ is apprehended it constraines us to all holy duties not as fire out of a Flint but as water out of a Spring the love of a wife to her husband may beginne from the supply of her necessities but afterwards she may love him also for the sweetenesse of his person so the soule doth first love Christ for salvation but when shee is brought to him and finds that sweetenesse that is in him then shee loves him for himselfe It should be our continuall care to manifest the sinceritie of our hearts to God in our severall places and callings this is done when we looke at God in every action and indeavour to yeeld our whole soule to the whole Will of God serving him in our spirits and performing the workes of our callings by his Spirit according to his Word and unto his Glorie and if we thus labour to approve our selves to him whatsoever be the issue wee shall be indued with a holy boldnesse with inward peace and comfort having carried our selves as in the sight of God That a man may be fit to perswade others hee must have love to their persons a cleare knowledge of the cause and grace that he may be able to speake in wisedome to their soules and consciences as wee are saved by love so we are perswaded by the arguments of love which is most agreeable to the nature of man that is led by perswasion not by compulsion men may be compelled to the use of the meanes but not to Faith many men labour onely to unfold the Scriptures for the increasing of their knowledge that they may be able to discourse whereas the speciall intent of the Ministery is to worke upon the heart and affections As we must approve our selves to God and to our owne consciences so also to the consciences of others not to their humours fancies that they may witnesse for us that we love them and deale faithfully with them We should labour to do all the good we can especially to the soules of men that are redeemed with the blood of Christ if wee deserve well of them they will give evidence for us but if wee walke scandalously they will evidence that wee by our ill courses and examples drew them to ill courses and hardened them in evill it should be our care therefore to approve our selves to the consciences of men that we may have them to witnesse for us that such men of whō we have deserved well may be our crowne at the last day A man doth then keepe a good conscience in relation to others when hee makes it appeare that hee can deny himselfe to doe them good when the consciences of other men shall thinke thus such a man regards my good more than his owne hee seekes no advantage to himselfe he lives so as that the world may see he is in good earnest hee speakes so as that he makes it good by his life now if our care be to walke thus wee shall approve our selves to the consciences of men There are many that will give some way to divine truths but they have a reservation of some sinne When Herodias is once touched then Iohn Baptists head must off such truths as come neare makes them fret because their conscience tels them they cannot yeeld obedience to all the lust of some sinnes hath gotten such domination over their affections that the conscience saith I cannot doe this and then that hatred that should be turned upon the sinne is turned upon the Word and the Minister like unto some vermine that when they are driven to a stand they will flie in a mans face so these men when they see they must yeeld they grow malicious so that what they will not follow that they will reproach therefore it should be our care at all times to yeeld obedience according to what wee know There is a generation of churlish people such as watch for offences because they would goe to hell with some reason they will not see who are weake and who are hypocrites but they cast reproach upon
what neede all this but if ever thou beest touched in conscience for thy sinnes thou wilt then be farre from finding fault when God useth all the secrets in the booke of Nature and translates them to assure us of his mercy and love Gods children are strengthened by their falls they learne to stand by their falls like tall Ce dars the more they are blowen the deeper they are rooted that which men thinke is the overthrow of Gods children doth but roote them deeper so that afrer all outward stormes and inward declinings this is the issue They take roote downeward and bring forth fruit upwards A Christian in his right temper is compared to the best of every thing if to a Lilly the fairest if to a Cedar the tallest if to an Olive tree the most fruitfull And his smell shall be as Lebanon Wee should therefore make use of all naturall things and apply them to spirituall if we see a Lilly thinke of Gods Promise and our dutie wee shall grow as Lillies when see see a tall tree thinke I must grow higher in Grace and when we see a Vine thinke I must grow in fruitfulnesse when wee goe into our Orchards or Gardens let the sight of these things raise our thoughts higher unto a consideration of what 's required of us As its the glory of the Olive tree to be fruitfull so it s the glory of a Christian to be fruitfull in his place and calling and the way to be fruitfull is to esteeme fruitfulnesse a glory it s a gracious sight to see a Christian answer his profession and flourish in his owne standing to be fruitfull and shine in good workes when abilitie and opportunity and a heart answerable doe all meete for doing good this is glorious When wee goe about any action or businesse let us alwayes aske our soules this question Is this sutable to my calling to my hopes but if not Why doe I doe it I that am a King to rule over my lusts doth this agree with my condition this base act this base Company shall such a man as I doe this When a man brings his heart to reason thus with himselfe it will breede Ephraims resolution What have I any more to doe with Idolls and in walking thus circumspectly wee shall finde a heate of comfort accompanying every good action and a sweete rellish upon the conscience with humilitie and thankefulnesse acknowledging all the strength wee have to be from the dew of his Grace In times of calamitie God will have a care of his fruitfull trees as in the 20. of Deute 19. The Israelites were commanded that they should not destroy the trees that bare fruit so though Gods Iudgemēts come amongst us yet God will have a speciall care of his children that be fruitfull but the Iudgements of God will light heavy upon barren trees And howsoever God may indure barrennesse in the want of meanes yet hee will not in the use of meanes It were better for a bramble to be in the wildernesse than in an Orchard nothing will beare us out but fruitfulnesse It may be observed that old men seeme not to grow nor to be so zealous as many young Christians but the reason is because there is in young Christians a greater strength of naturall parts and that shewes it selfe and makes a great expression but aged men they grow in strength and stablenesse and are more refined their knowledge is more cleere their actions more pure their zeale more refined and not mingled with wild-fire and therefore though old Christians be not carried with a full streame yet they are more stable and judicious more heavenly minded more mortified they grow in humility out of a clearer sight of their owne corruptions In true conversion the soule is changed to be of the same minde with Christ that as hee is affected so the soule of such a one is affected and as hee loathes all ill so upon this ground there must be a loathing of whatsoever is evill but a carnall man is like a Wolfe driven from the Sheepe that yet retaines his wolvish nature so these men that are driven from their sinnes onely out of terrour of conscience they are afrighted with sinne but they doe not hate it therefore a loathing of evill is required as well as the leaving of it If wee would make it evident that our conversion is sound we must loath and hate sinne from the heart now a man shall know his hatred of evill to be true first if it be universall Hee that hates sinne truely hates all sinne secondly where there is true hatred it is unappeaseable there is no appeasing of it but by abolishing the thing it hates thirdly hatred is a more rooted affection than anger anger may be appeased but hatred is against the whole kinde fourthly if our hatred be true it hates all ill in our selves first and then in others he that hates a toad hates it most in his owne bosome Many like Iuda are severe in censuring of others but are partiall to themselves fiftly he that hates sinne truely hates the greatest sinne in the greatest measure he hates it in a just proportion sixtly our hatred is right if wee can endure admonition reproofe for sin not be in rage with him that tells us of it therefore those that swell against reproofe hate not sinne onely with this caution It may be done with such indiscretion and self-love that a man may hate the proud manner therefore in discovering our hatred of sinne in others we must consider our calling it must be done in a sweete temper with reserving due respect of those to whom wee shew our dislike that it may be done out of true zeale and not out of wild-fire All love and associations that are not begun on good termes will end in hatred wee should take heede whom we joyne in league and amitie withall before wee plant our affections consider the persons what they are if wee see any signes of Grace then it is good but if not there will be a rent Throughout our whole life this ought to be our Rule we should labour in all companies either to doe good or receive good and where we can neither doe nor receive good wee should take heede of such acquaintance Let men therefore consider and take heede how they stand in combination with wicked persons Whosoever will live godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution hee must have his nature changed and carry his hatred against all opposite courses and therefore to frame a Religion that hath no trouble with it is to frame an Idoll but Neuters in Religion are like unto Batts that men can scarce distinguish from Myce or flying foule because they have a resemblance of both take heede therefore of neutralitie in Religion after the first heate many become luke-warme and from that they fall to coldnesse let us therefore looke to our beginnings pure affection in Religion must also be zealous Wisemen